Improvement in distilling petroleum and other liquids



UNITED STATES O. H. HALL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN DISTlLLING PETROLEUM AND OTHER LIQUlDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 55,855, dated June 2G,1806.

To all 'whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, C. II. HALL, of the city, county, and State of NewYork, have invented a new and Improved Distilling Apparatus; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andexact descriptionthereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a partof this specification, in which- Figure l represents a plan or top Viewof this invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the saine. Fig. 3is a longitudinal vertical section of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

This improvement relates to an apparatus particularly designed forrefining petroleumoil, but which may be used for refining coaloils,turpentine, or volatile liquids of any description.

lt consists, first, ofa supply-tank, into which the crude oil or otherliquid is `first placed to be refined, and in which it is partiallyheated; second, of a retort, into which the oil or other liquid linallyflows to be distilled; third, of a chamber, through which the vaporspass into the condenser; fourth, of a condenser, inwhich the volatileportions ofthe oil or other liquids become condensed; fifth, of areceiver, in which the products of condensation are collected andseparated from the non condensable gases; sixth, of a series of waterand steam jackets inclosing the condenser, in which steam isgenerated bythe heat of the condensing vapors of the oil or other liquid beingdistilled; seventh, of a series of Scrapers carried over the bottom ofthe retort to prevent the forming of a sediment on said bottom; eighth,of a purifying-tank, into which the residuum is forced by a jet ofsteam; and, lastly, of a furnace and arch, over which the retort isplaced.

A represents the supply-tank, in which the oil or other liquid is placedto be distilled.

B represents a long flat-bottomed tapering retort with a semicirculartop, into the small end of which the oil or other liquid flows fromtankA, to be distilled, and covers the bottom in a thin stratum.

C represents the arch, over which the retort B is placed in such amanner that the tire can strike no other part of said retort but thebottom.

D represents the furnace in which the ire is made.

E represents the vapor-chamber, into which the vapors of the oil or'.other liquids being distilled pass from retort B. Itconsists of au outerjacket closed at the top and fastened to the top of retort B, with aninner concentric tube leading into said retort, so arranged that thevapors of oil or other liquid passing through said chambers will depositany particles of crude liquid which may be carried up the inner tubeinto the bottom of the annular space between its inner tube and outerjacket, while the volatile parts of the liquid only can pass into thecondenser.

F represents the U-formed horizontal tube through which the vapors passfrom chamber E while being condensed.

G represents the jacket which surrounds one branch of tube F, into whichWater is forced through pipe Y, producing steam from the heat ofthevapors passing through said tube F.

I is a smaller tube concentric within tube F, and passing through thesame and connecting with jacket G, as is plainly shown in Fig. l of thedrawings, so that the steam formed in jacket Gr in passing through saidtube I becomes superheated, and, issuing from pipes K and J, is lit tobe used for driving an engine or for other purposes hereinaftermentioned.

G is another jacket, which surrounds the other branch of condensing-tubeF, into which water is conveyed through pipe I-I, which passes into thelastmentioned branch of tube F through connection Z, thence through saidtube and return into jacket Gr', as is plainly shown in Fig. 2 of thedrawings.

R represents the water-tank, into which the water rises from jacketGthrouglh connection Z.

L represents the receiver, into which the products of distillationcollect from tube F, the condensable portions of which remain on thebottom, While the non-condensable products pass off through bent-tube O.

Q, is a pipe leading from retort B, through which the residuum passes tothe T-c-ouplin g P.

J represents a steam-pipe, which branches oft' from tube I, and7entering T-coupling P at right angles with pipe Q, creates a suction bythe force of a jet of steam across the mouth of pipe Q, in such a manner.that the residuum from retort-B-is-forced through pipe J into tank S. v

K is a steam-pipe, which also branches off from tube I and passes intoreceiverl L and turns upward into the mouth of tube O, so that a jet ofsteam issuing therefrom sweeps the non-comlensable gases, which collectin the upper portion of receiver L through said tube O.

M represents the spout through which the refined oil or other liquid isdischarged from receiver L.

N is a pipe which branches off from steampipe K and leads a jet of steaminto spout M,-

to facilitate the discharge of the refined oil from receiver L.-

a is a bent pipe, into which is inserted a valve, through which thecrude oil or other liquid is let down into retort B.

S represents the tankinto which the residuum is forced. Said tank isprovided with a concentric tube, S', reaching nearly to its bottom,through which the residuum, together with the water which passes throughpipe U from watertank B, is forced to pass before they are allowed toseparate. The water and dregs then pass out through pipe YV, while thepurified residuum rises to the top ofthe annular chamber between tube Sand the outer `jacket of tank S. i

fj-gare two small tubes leading from the anlar space in chamber E intoretort B, which provides for the return of the crude liquids which mayfall into said annular space back into retort b again.

V is the pipe which leads the purified residuum back into supplytank Ato be redistilled.

h It lt represent a series of scrapers placed at suitable intervals andattached to a common rod, m, which passes through the small end ofretort B. A reciproeatory motion is imparted to rod m by hand or otherpower, which causes the scrapers h h h to traverse the entire surface ofthe bottom of retort B, thus preventing the formation of a sediment onsaid bottom.

The process of rclinin g petroleum-oil or other liquids in my apparatusis as follows: The crude oil or other liquid to be refined is firstplaced in suplily-t-ank A, from which it is allowed to 'flow slowlythrough pipe a down into retort B, and covers the bottom of said retortin a thin stratum, so that the vapors as they,` are generated on thesaid bottom may pass,

freely to the surface, instead of being held inr contact with the heatby a thick stratum of oil until destructive distillation of the liquidensues, as is generally the case when the hydrogen of the oil or otherliquid within the still separates from the carbon and leaves the same asa black cake in the residuum 5 and, to further provide against thedestructive distillation of the vapors, no part of retort B is exposedto the action of the fire except its bottom, thereby removing theprincipal cause of the deposit of colorin g-matter in the distillate,which takes place when the charge in a still gets low. rlhe vaporscomingin contact with the overheated said vapors to separate into theirconstituent elements and form new combinations of the same, one of whichis hydrogen gas, which imparts to the distillate a disagreeable odor,

pass off with the vapors, and, condensing in the distillate, serve tocolor the same.

A series of scrapers, D I) b, attached to a colnmon rod, m, islirovided-,andis moved by hand or other power upon the bottom of retortB, so that the sediment cannot become burned upon said bottom. r[heretort is placed over the arch l and furnace I) iir such a manner thatwhen the tire is made in said furnace the heat passes along the arch,striking the bottom of the retort with diminishing intensity, while thecrude oil enters the end of the retort farthest from the tire and iiowstoward the furnace. By this arrangement' the crude oil or other liquidto be distilled becomes gradually heated and volatile, and if it isproperly applied to the retort, and in d ne proportion to the heatsupplied by furnace D, the volatile parts of said oil orvliquid of thevarious gravities of which it is composed, as they are valiorized by theincreasingintensity of the heat while Howing toward said furnace, becomecommingled while in the vaporous state in the upper portion of retort B,and pass through chamber E into condenser F, while the residuum onlypasses through pipe Q.

The particles of crude oil or other liquid being distilled whichgenerally pass over with the vapors, thereby coloring the distillate,are, in my apparatus, depositedin theannularspacc contained in chamber Eand fall back into the retort through pipes gif/,while nothing but purevapor can pass into the condenser.

The vapors of the oil or other liquid being distilled pass from chamberE into tube F, in which, as it is inclosed in water-jackets/)G and G',the condensa-tion of said vapors takes place, the liquid portion falling into the lower part of the tube, and, passing into receiver L, isdischarged from the spout M, while its gaseous constituents remain inthe upper portion of said tube, and, passing intoi'eceiver L, aredischarged through pipe 0 By this arrangement the distillate, thusentirely freed from contact with such non-condensable gases as aregenerated in the retort, cannot absorb any of them, consequently (in thecase of petroleum) emits an unpleasant odor and is non-explosive in anyordinary temperature, while by the ordinary process of condensation, thevapors bein forced to pass downward through a coiled pipe placed withina tank of water, the non-comlensable gases besurface above the liquid atsuch times causes while the particles of carbonthus liberated,

come mechanically mixed with the distillate,

rendering the same explosive and of a disagreeable odor, and to obviatewhich a subsequent treatment with acids, alkalies, and water is resortedto, which but imperfectly accomplishes the object sought.

Steam is generated in jacket G, which, passing through tube I, becomessuperheated by the vapors issuing from chamber E, and is then applied tovarious useful purposes. By this arrangement the heat which isordinarily wasted is economized andthe necessity of constructing anindependent steam @generating apparatus is obviated.

Gold water being circulated freely through pipe H into jacket G', thencethrough connection Z into water-tank It, the point at which thecondensation of the vapors passing through this branch of tube F beginscan be easily regulated by the amount of Water permitted to enter pipeH, so that any desired percentage of the most volatile portion of thedistillate will pass off in the vaporous state and leave the distillateof any specific gravity.

The residuum, as it accumulates in the front part of retort B, passesthrough pipe Q, land is then forced by a jet of steam issuing fromsteanrpipe J into tank S, where it is purified by beingforced, togetherwith a stream of water from pipe U, through a tube, S', which, beingsituated Within tank S and open at its lower end, permits a separationof the water and dregs from the oily matter, the former passing outthrough pipe W and the latter rising above the water in the annularspace, from which it may vdow back intoY the supply-tank to mingle withthe crude liquid again. By this arrangement all other residuuln mayberemoved from theretort as fast as it accumulates, without any dangerfrom explosion in consequence of exposing the same while hot to theatmosphere. It is also simultaneously freed from its earthyimpurities.without additional expense.

The current of steam which passes through pipe K is injected into themouth of pipe from within receiver L, which carries with it thenon-condensable gases and light vapors which do not condense into tankA. This current of steam also serves to partially heat the oil or otherliquid in tank A previous to its passing intovthe retort. Thenon-condensable gases finally escape through pipe Z. Thus by myapparatus may a continuous distillation of oil or other liquids beeffected with safety and rapidity with the least possible expenditure offuel and waste of useful products, and in a manner obviating thenecessity of a chemical treatment of the product afterward.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In the continuous distillation of petroleum or other liquids,the` useof a retort, B, in combination With furnace D and arch C, substantiallyas shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The series of scrapers 71, h h, or their equivalent, connected to therod m, in combination with retort B, constructed and operatingsubstantially as shown and described, or in any other manner whereby ascraper'is used, for the purpose specified.

3. The device herein described for generating steam, consisting of theWater-jacket G and Water-supplypipe Y and steam-tube I, in combinationwith condensing-tube F, substantially as shown and described, or` anyother means whereby steam is generated by passing the vapors of oil orother liquids being distilled through a vessel containing waters, orvice versa.

4. The method herein described of separating the condeusable fromthenon-condensable gases, or any other method whereby the condensablegases are made to collect in the lower part of a receiver while thenon-condensable gases are made to pass off by the suction of a currentof steam, substantially as herein set forth, and for the purposespecified.

5. The water-jacket G', connected with supply-pipe H and water-tank R,in combination with tubular condenser F, operating as described, or inany other manner, to accomplish the purpose specified.

6. The receiver L, in combination with tubular condenser F, steam-pipeK, and dischargepipe 0, operating substantially as and for the purposeshown and described.

7 The annular chamber E, composed by an inner and outer vessel, incombination with the condenser F, constructed and operatingsubstantially as and for the purpose specified.

S. The method herein described of freeing the retort B from residuum, orany other equivale-nt means whereby a retort or still is freed of itsresiduum by the force of a jet of steam, operating substantially asshown and described.

9. The within-described process of cleaning the residuum by treating itwith steam and Water, substantially in the manner described, and for thepurpose set forth.

- CHARLES H. HALL.

Witnesses:

M. M. LIVINGSTON, ALEX. F. ROBERTS.

